Broadcasting Telecasting (Oct-Dec 1957)

tinued to sponsor the half-hour nighttime program. The only things that changed in the picture, really, were that his sales volume increased 15 times and he personally and literally became a millionaire. People like the Al Terrences, the Pink Ice girl and of course the Procter & Gambles, the Kelloggs, the Gillettes and so on have understood and met the challenge of television. Its challenge today, for those who have stayed out of it, becomes a more intense and vital challenge by the minute. I believe that the challenge to get into television, to learn to buy it and to create for it, is rapidly assuming the proportions of a life-and-death decision for agencies and advertisers for this reason: The television generation is coming of age. The 2,600,000 babies born in 1940 are entering the marriage arena between now and 1960 — and every year after that it will be another three or three and a half million kids going through the same process of marrying, establishing homes, having children, buying clothes, refrigerators, carpets from our friend Al Terrence, all the goods and services that keep factories open and earnings reports pleasant. Even the first wave of these kids — those born in 1 940 — have known television as an intimate and constant companion ever since they were 10 or 11 years old. Ask any of them and you'll find they don't even comprehend or understand a world without television. The habit of watching television, the acceptance of tv as the prime family activity outside of eating and sleeping, is already ingrained in these coming adults who mean so much to the success or failure of advertisers and agencies. Whether you're big or small, whether you are an agency or an advertiser, this upcoming day when they'll have to sell the hot rod and buy a crib won't let you put off much longer the decision to get into television. Isn't it time that advertisers who have ignored tv take a look at the earnings reports of those who didn't? General Foods, for example, put 31% of its major media budget into tv in 1952. It has steadily raised this figure to 64% in 1956. And its net earnings have followed a joyously parallel line — $20.4 million in 1952, $39.0 million in 1956. Standard Brands, on the other hand, put just 13% of its budget into tv in 1952 and made very modest additions, finally plunging with 39% in 1956. Too little and pretty late. Its net earnings rise was correspondingly modest — from $9.4 million in 1952 to $12 million in 1956. Schenley Industries, which perforce is not a television advertiser, has dropped in net earnings nearly 50% since 1952— from $12.1 million to $8.4 million. Sterling Drug, which raised its tv budget to 71% of its total major-media budget, raised its net earnings from $10.4 million to $16.9 million between 1952 and 1956. There are scores of earnings reports that bear a distinct and amazing correlation to television expenditures — evidence that would make a lot of stockholder meetings much more interesting than they are. And isn't it time to realize that your own employes and their families are spending nearly as much time each day watching tv as they are working for you? Isn't it time to recognize that your dealers and their families are similarly engaged — and that dealers are stating that one out of every two customers coming into a store for a specific product are mentioning tv as the reason they come in? Tv is a communication facility and an advertising medium of indescribable force and power. Its challenge is simple: pick up this selling machine and use it. Create advertising copy that utilizes its advantages; put that copy on at -th& right time and the right place. This is a process that requires no superhuman intuition; many very ordinary people have become very rich doing it. If you do it, you'll have met television's challenge. You'll also have insured, not only the survival, but the rosy future of your company in the wonderful marketing era just ahead, the most significant age in American economic history, the age that belongs to the television generation. Home Foods Div. of American Home Products, through Young & Rubicam, bought a special holiday campaign of 29 "Impact" segments to run for two weeks beginning Dec. 21. In addition, American Home Foods renewed its quarter-hour sponsorship of Arthur Godfrey Time for 13 weeks beginning Jan. 9. Other renewals were by Milner Products, through Gordon Best Inc., for "Impact" segments for 13 weeks starting Jan. 4, and R. J. Reynolds Tobacco for sponsorship of Sports Time (Tues., Thurs., and Sat., 7-7:05 p.m. EST) for 52 weeks beginning Dec. 31. Agency for Reynolds is Wm. Esty Co. Renfro Defines Media's Role In Address at U. of Missouri Media's function is "not to decide what an advertiser should say or how he should say it to stimulate interest and sales of a product, but rather where or when to say it," Harry K. Renfro, director of radio-tv media, D'Arcy Adv. Co., told U. of Missouri journalism-advertising students last Monday. Mr. Renfro traced the development of broadcast media planning and the nature of media strategy. Cost-per-thousand often serves as a gauge of the distance the agency will get out of the client's advertising dollar rather than as a criterion in evaluating the effectiveness of a radio or tv station, he asserted. The agency currently is conducting a DArcy college students' lecture series, in which Mr. Renfro's appearance was the tenth. Retail Advertising Conference Planned for Chicago Jan. 18-19 Effective store promotions and management views of advertising and sales promotion will be among the topics explored at the sixth annual Retail Advertising Conference in Chicago Jan. 18-19. Radio, tv, print, advertising agency, department store and manufacturer-distributor representatives are expected to attend the weekend sessions at the Palmer House under the auspices of two retail specialists, Budd Gore and Ralph Heineman. Delegates are charged attendance fees on a staggered basis related to city population, with charges somewhat less for fm stations and neighborhood newspapers than am-tv outlets, larger newspapers and agencies. Registration cards may be obtained by writing Retail Advertising Conference, 32 W. Randolph St., Chicago 1, 111. AGENCY APPOINTMENTS Bishop-Conklin (division of Devoe & Raynolds Co., Louisville, Ky., and manufacturer of Treasure Tones paints) appoints Dreyfus Co., L. A. Melitio Co. (Golden-Dipt ready mix)T St. Louis, appoints Frank Block Assoc. there. Sioux Honey Assn., Sioux City, Iowa, appoints Allen & Reynolds, Omaha, Neb. Monroe Boston Strause (Holly-Ann, Te-pe and Lo-Lo Calorie pies), appoints Hoefer, Dieterich & Brown Inc., S. F., to introduce new line. Hansen Baking Co. (Sunbeam products), Seattle, appoints Frederick E. Baker & Assoc. there for northwest Washington. Capehart Corp., N. Y., appoints Fuller & Smith & Ross. Chemical Corp. of America, Tallahassee, Fla., appoints Lennen & Newell, N. Y., to service its Freewax product. Day, Harris, Hargrett & Weinstein, Atlanta, will continue to work on CCA's new product line. Hampden-Harvard Breweries Inc., Willimansett, Mass., appoints Daniel F. Sullivan Inc., Boston. Caruso Foods Inc., (spaghettis, macaronis, dehydrated soups) N. Y., appoints Keyes, Madden & Jones. Cracker Jack Co. (popcorn, marshmallow products), Chicago, appoints Leo Burnett. Ceribelli & Co., Fair Lawn, N. J., for Brioschi, anti-acid preparation, appoints Ellington & Co., N. Y. McGregor-Doniger Inc. (sportswear), N. Y., appoints McCann-Erickson. A&A SHORTS Grubb & Peterson Adv., Champaign, 111., in cooperation with U. of Illinois ^College of Journalism & Communications, has selected its first student for one year training in all phases of agency operation. During training period, student receives stipend from Grubb & Peterson, which plans to afford similar training to one or more students annually. John T. Hall & Co., Philadelphia, reports expansion of office space at 1512 Walnut St., will nearly double its present quarters. Broadcasting December 9, 1957 • Page 41